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A YouTube Distraction Blocker for Focused Learning
People search for a “YouTube distraction blocker” when they want fewer prompts to keep watching — not when they want to delete YouTube. Unbinge is a free browser extension that can hide noisy UI and, separately, limit which channels open at all.
The problem
Even on a useful video, YouTube still offers Shorts, suggested videos, comments, end-screen cards, and autoplay. Those elements are easy to click and hard to ignore during study or family viewing. A blocker that only removes ads leaves that loop in place.
The solution
Unbinge splits the job in two. Distraction settings hide parts of the YouTube page you choose. The filter mode is stricter: on Explore or Focus, only approved channels load; everything else hits a local “not allowed” page. You can run filters with the mode on Off (no blocking), or combine both.
Unbinge does not claim to hide every YouTube element forever. YouTube’s layout changes. Toggles cover Shorts, recommendations, comments, end screens, trending, the homepage feed, autoplay, and similar items listed in the popup — not an infinite catch-all.
How it works
Install Unbinge
Add it from the Chrome Web Store in Chrome, Edge, or another Chromium browser. See the install guide.
Open distraction settings
In the popup, enable the filters you want. A master switch turns all YouTube UI filtering off without uninstalling.
Pick your filter mode
Explore or Focus is what blocks non-approved channels; Off pauses blocking. Filters alone only hide page elements.
Who it’s for
Anyone who wants a quieter player: students, parents, and adults who already know they get pulled into the sidebar. If you only need to hide Shorts, you can do that with the mode on Off — see YouTube without Shorts. If you need an allowlist, switch the mode to Explore or Focus — described on the YouTube whitelist page.
Relevant features
Per-item filters
Each distraction type is independent. Reset to defaults from the same panel. More detail is in the FAQ.
Filter modes
On Explore or Focus, YouTube is restricted to the approved list plus locally added channels. Profiles change the starting mode and list slice. See profiles on the homepage.